Thick Brown Sludge On Road Leads To Ticket

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) officers discovered a thick brown sludge pouring onto a Town of Monroe roadway on Jan. 18.

According to a statement from NYS DEC, officers Johnson and Walraven discovered the sludge while on routine patrol and immediately began investigating.

The officers allege that the slurry that was spewing onto the roadway was the result of a contractor who was drilling a well on a nearby property. According to the statement, the slurry was a mixture of water, dirt and a cleaning substance that the contractor allowed to run down a hill unimpeded and dump onto the roadway.

The contractor was cited for, "depositing noisome and unwholesome substances onto a highway" which is a misdemeanor. The contractor who is due to answer the complaint in Monroe Court in March was also ordered to clean up the mess.